IMS Testing

The Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) constitutes a major step in the evolution of telecommunication networks and its convergence with the Internet.IMS does not standardise specific applications or services, but provides a platform and architecture framework for providing services across wireless as well as wireline terminals.

ETSI, as one of the partners of the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP™) and in coordination with other global organizations and fora active in this area, plays a key role in enabling of a market for this networking technology by developing a variety of test specifications for IMS core networks and organizing interoperability events. IMS network testing is an essential element to ensure the successful operational delivery of the IMS enabled networks.

IMS network interoperability testing assess the ability of two distinct IMS networks to provide basic services such as basic Voice over IP (VoIP) call and instant messaging as well more sophisticated services that require the use of an Application Server (AS), such as Multi-Media Telephony (MMTel) or presence. Of interest also is the ability to provide such services from an IMS core to a legacy PSTN network and vice versa.

In ETSI's interoperability testing IMS network entities are connected, driven and observed at standardized interfaces such as Gm, Mw, Ic, and ISC. IMS conformance and network integration testing assesses either a complete IMS core network or a subset of its components in isolation. For this purpose ETSI has developed and is maintaining numerous test specifications suited for automated test execution based on testing technologies such as TPLan and TTCN-3.

TC INT members meet four times a year to discuss and approve test specifications which are written by its members and experts. The specifications are validated during conformance and interoperability events which gather organizations across the industry.

TC INT members are representatives from industry and research institutes who collect requirements from the operators, vendors and manufactures and testing tool companies to ensure time-to-market standards.